Numbers 16:35

Numbers 16:35 says, And there came out a fire from the LORD, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense.  Those who were offering incense under the leadership of those who had rebelled against Moses, these false priests, were consumed by fire from the LORD.  We don't have such drastic signs today that someone is a false priest, but must rely on the Holy Spirit to reveal to us if they are or not.  Verse thirty-six adds, And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,  Verse thirty-seven continues, Speak unto Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, that he take up the censers out of the burning, and scatter thou the fire yonder; for they are hallowed.  Moses was instructed by God to have Eleazar, the son of Aaron the true priest of God, to collect the censers these false priests had used to bring their incense and scatter the fire in them outside the camp, for they were sacred.  The censers themselves were hallowed, since God had instructed them to bring them.  Even though the priest may be false, they cannot make the things that are truly God's to be as well.  Verse thirty-eight states, The censers of these sinners against their own souls, let them make them broad plates for a covering of the altar: for they offered them before the LORD, therefore they are hallowed: and they shall be a sign unto the children of Israel.  The censers were no longer to be used the same way in the tabernacle, but were to be beaten into broad plates that would serve as a sign to the people of Israel about what would happen to those who attempted to claim to be something that God had not called them to be.  Verse thirty-nine adds, And Eleazar the priest took the brasen censers, wherewith they that were burnt had offered; and they were made broad plates for a covering of the altar:  These censers were made into a broad plate to cover the altar.  Verse forty continues, To be a memorial unto the children of Israel, that no stranger, which is not of the seed of Aaron, come near to offer incense before the LORD; that he be not as Korah, and as his company: as the LORD said to him by the hand of Moses.  This was to be a memorial to the people of Israel that no one who was not a descendent of Aaron should attempt to offer incense before the LORD, as Korah and his company had done.  Though we may be not see the drastic results when someone falsely attempts to claim to be called by God as a preacher today, the everlasting result will be the same.  Verse forty-one says, But on the morrow all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, Ye have killed the people of the LORD.  The next day, the people of Israel were once again murmuring against Moses and Aaron, accusing them of having killed some of the children of Israel.  They were attributing what God had done to Moses and Aaron.  We need to be careful as followers of Christ that we do not attribute God's righteous judgment of those who would falsely claim to be His spokesmen today to some other church leader.  It should have been very obvious to these people, who had seem the power of God manifested many times, when something was His work.  Verse forty-two adds, And it came to pass, when the congregation was gathered against Moses and against Aaron, that they looked toward the tabernacle of the congregation: and, behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the LORD appeared.  While the people who were gathered against Moses were looking toward the tabernacle,  it was covered by a cloud and the glory of the LORD appeared.  God will always stand with those that He calls against all who defy them.  

Numbers 16:23

Numbers 16:23 says, And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,  Verse twenty-four adds, Speak unto the congregation, saying, Get you up from about the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.  God told Moses to tell the congregation to move away from the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan and Abiram.  We also need to move away from false places of worship today.  Verse twenty-five states, And Moses rose up and went unto Dathan and Abiram; and the elders of Israel followed him.  Moses went to Dathan and Abiram and the elders of Israel followed him there.  Verse twenty-six adds, And he spake unto the congregation, saying, Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest ye be consumed in all their sins.  Moses warned the congregation to move away from Dathan and Abiram and to touch nothing that was theirs, lest they be destroyed with them.  It was still up to each individual to decide what they would do.  We can warn people of the dangers of following false teachers today, but it is up to them whether or not they choose to do so.  Verse twenty-seven continues, So they gat up from the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, on every side: and Dathan and Abiram came out, and stood in the door of their tents, and their wives, and their sons, and their little children.  The people listened to Moses and left, and then Korah, Dathan, Abiram and their families came out of their tents.  They had attempted a take over, and now they found themselves isolated from God's people.   Those who attempt to change God's word and lead God's people away from Him will ultimately stand alone before God to face His judgment.  Verse twenty-eight says, And Moses said, Hereby ye shall know that the LORD hath sent me to do all these works; for I have not done them of mine own mind.  Moses told them that they were now going to know that God had sent him, and that what he had done had been done by God's hand, or power, and not his own.  As followers of Christ, we also need to make sure that whatever we do is done by the power of God.  We cannot just follow our own desires under our own strength and successfully follow God.  Verse twenty-nine adds, If these men die the common death of all men, or if they be visited after the visitation of all men; then the LORD hath not sent me.  Moses said that if Korah, Dathan and Abiram died normal deaths, God had not sent Moses.  Of course, people today can die normal deaths, even if they are leading people away from God, and this does not mean that they are teaching the truth.  Verse thirty continues, But if the LORD make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go down quick into the pit; then ye shall understand that these men have provoked the LORD.  Moses said that if God made a new thing and the earth swallowed Korah, Dathan and Abiram up, then they would know that they had provoked God.  This was something that had never happened before, so if it happened after Moses proposed it, it would be proof that God was speaking through him.  We really don't have any sign like this to prove that people are leading others away from God, so we need to make sure that we know God's word and are following the leadership of the Holy Spirit.  Verse thirty-one states, And it came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder that was under them:  As soon as Moses stopped talking, the earth began to open up.  It was too late for those who had not listened to Moses to do so now.  Verse thirty-two adds, And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods.  The earth opened up and swallowed these three, their houses and goods, and all those who had continued to stand with them against Moses.  Verse thirty-three continues, They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation.  Korah, Dathan, Abiram and all those who followed them fell into thee pit that had opened up and then the pit closed up again.  We cannot look for the same thing to happen today, but those who corrupt God's word and lead others away from Him will one day be swallowed up by the pits of hell.  Verse thirty-four declares, And all Israel that were round about them fled at the cry of them: for they said, Lest the earth swallow us up also.  All those who had been close by fled the area, saying that they needed to lest they be swallowed up as well.  We need to move away from those who teach false things about God today, so that we do not begin to believe them instead of God and get caught up in their everlasting punishment.  Of course, I believe that if we have truly put our faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, we never will be pulled away by false teachers. 

Numbers 16:12

Numbers 16:12 says, And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab: which said, We will not come up:  Moses called for Dathan and Abiram, who were rebelling against him, to come to him, and they refused.  Moses was God's appointed leader and they would not obey him.  Too often today Christians refuse to listen to preachers, God's called leaders of congregations, because they don't tell them what they want to hear, and they sometimes rebel against them.  Verse thirteen adds, Is it a small thing that thou hast brought us up out of a land that floweth with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, except thou make thyself altogether a prince over us?  Dathen and Abiram asked Moses why he had brought them out of Egypt, a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill them in the wilderness, unless it was to simply put himself in a position of power over them.  Moses didn't do this, but God did, and if Egypt was a land flowing with milk and honey, they were still slaves there.  We cannot look back to life before we became a follower of Christ and feel that we have given up too much.  Verse fourteen continues, Moreover thou hast not brought us into a land that floweth with milk and honey, or given us inheritance of fields and vineyards: wilt thou put out the eyes of these men? we will not come up.  They then said Moses had not given them a land flowing with milk and honey and asked if he would blind them because they could see this.  It was the lack if faith on the part of the majority of the people that was keeping them out of the Promised Land, and not Moses.  If we are following God simply for material rewards and refuse to obey Him in doing what He calls us to do, we are being spiritually blind by our own actions.  Verse fifteen states, And Moses was very wroth, and said unto the LORD, Respect not thou their offering: I have not taken one ass from them, neither have I hurt one of them.  Moses was upset and asked God to not respect their offering, and said he had taken nothing from them to benefit himself.  As followers of Christ today, we cannot follow Him simply for material benefit.  Verse sixteen adds, And Moses said unto Korah, Be thou and all thy company before the LORD, thou, and they, and Aaron, to morrow:  Moses summoned Korah and all his company along with Aaron to come before the LORD the next day.  This is always the best way to settle disputes in the church.  We need to bring everyone and everything involved in the dispute before the Lord, and let Him settle the dispute.  There is no reason to be fighting amongst ourselves.  Verse seventeen continues, And take every man his censer, and put incense in them, and bring ye before the LORD every man his censer, two hundred and fifty censers; thou also, and Aaron, each of you his censer.  They were all to bring the same offering to God, including Aaron.  Sometimes, we use church disputes to justify not bringing our tithes and offerings to God, but this is not Biblical.  Verse eighteen says, And they took every man his censer, and put fire in them, and laid incense thereon, and stood in the door of the tabernacle of the congregation with Moses and Aaron.  They at least did as Moses asked and brought their offering before the tabernacle.  They then stood there with Moses and Aaron.  Verse nineteen adds, And Korah gathered all the congregation against them unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto all the congregation.  Korah was still gathering the people to follow him and not Moses, and as they gathered at the door of the tabernacle, the glory of God appeared to all the congregation.  When we gather together as the church today, God's glory should shine on and through us.  Verse twenty declares, And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,  God did not speak to Korah,  who was allied with Dathan and Abiram, but to Moses.  Verse twenty-one adds, Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.  God told Moses and Aaron to separate themselves from the others so that He could consume them in a minute.  We cannot rebel against God and His chosen leaders and not expect consequences for our actions, because if we are truly following Christ by faith, we will not be rebelling against His chosen leaders because we don't like what is happening in our lives materially.  Verse twenty-two continues, And they fell upon their faces, and said, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and wilt thou be wroth with all the congregation?  The people, who had been ready to follow Korah suddenly fell on their faces before God and asked if all the people would have to suffer for sins of one man.  People are often willing to follow someone who goes against God's leadership until this starts to bring consequences, and then they want to blame their sin on the action of others.  We are all responsible for our own sins and cannot expect to he relieved of that responsibility by attempting to blame someone else for them.

Numbers 16:1

Numbers 16:1 says, Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men:  Verse two adds, And they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown:  Korah, Dathan, Abiram and On rose up against Moses with two hundred and fifty princes who were famous in the congregation of Israel.  No matter how well known a person is in the church today, nor how many people join them, they should never do anything that is against God's will.  Verse three continues, And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the LORD?  They went to Moses and Aaron and told them that they were no better than the rest of the people of Israel and asked them why they lifted themselves up above the rest.  They were basically asking who put Moses and Aaron in charge, and the answer was that God did.  No Christian is more powerful than any other Christian, but we have different roles in the church, so we should never go against those that God has placed in a position of leadership, as long as they are faithful to God.  Moses and Aaron were where God called them to be.  Verse four states,  And when Moses heard it, he fell upon his face:  Moses did not stand up and say I am in charge, so get used to it, but fell on his face instead.  We do not need to fight with other Christians who may question what we are doing in the church but simply need to humble ourselves before God.  Verse five adds, And he spake unto Korah and unto all his company, saying, Even to morrow the LORD will shew who are his, and who is holy; and will cause him to come near unto him: even him whom he hath chosen will he cause to come near unto him. Moses told Korsth that tomorrow God would show him who was holy and who could come near Him.  We need to simply let God show us who He has called into particular areas of service.  Verse six says, This do; Take you censers, Korah, and all his company;  Verse seven adds, And put fire therein, and put incense in them before the LORD to morrow: and it shall be that the man whom the LORD doth choose, he shall be holy: ye take too much upon you, ye sons of Levi.  Moses told them to take their censers and put incense in them and bring them before the LORD and that the LORD would show them who He had chosen to lead the people.  We should never be jealous of those who are serving God in a capacity that we feel makes them somehow better than us.  Verse eight states, And Moses said unto Korah, Hear, I pray you, ye sons of Levi:  Moses asked Korah and the sons of Levi to listen to him.  They had already been set aside to serve God.  Verse nine adds, Seemeth it but a small thing unto you, that the God of Israel hath separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself to do the service of the tabernacle of the LORD, and to stand before the congregation to minister unto them?  Moses then asked Korah if he thought it was a small thing that God had set the Levites apart from the rest of the nation to do service in the tabernacle.  If we are doing what God has called us to do, we must never view it as a small or unworthy calling.  Verse ten continues, And he hath brought thee near to him, and all thy brethren the sons of Levi with thee: and seek ye the priesthood also?  Moses said God had brought the Levites near Him, and did they want to be a part of the priesthood as well.  Of course, as followers of Christ today, we are already a part of the priesthood of believers, and we should never aspire to be something that God has not called us to be.  Verse eleven concludes, For which cause both thou and all thy company are gathered together against the LORD: and what is Aaron, that ye murmur against him.  Moses then asked Korah and those gathered with him against the LORD what Aaron had done to cause them to murmur against him.  If we murmur against those that God has put in a position of leadership in the church today, we need to ask under the leadership of the Holy Spirit what they have done to cause us to do so.

Numbers 15:32

Numbers 15:32 says, And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks upon the sabbath day.  While in the wilderness, the people of Israel found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day, which would have been considered unnecessary work.  Matthew Henry says this was done presumptuously as an affront to both the law and the Lawmaker.  Verse thirty-three adds, And they that found him gathering sticks brought him unto Moses and Aaron, and unto all the congregation.  Those who found the man gathering sticks brought him to Moses and the congregation.  We are told as followers of Christ if we find someone who professes to be a fellow believer openly sinning that we are to bring them before the congregation to give them an opportunity to repent.  Verse thirty-four continues, And they put him in ward, because it was not declared what should be done to him.  They put him in the midst of the congregation because they weren't sure about what was to be done to him.  Matthew Henry says it is unclear whether they didn't know whether or not what the man did was a clear violation of the law of the Sabbath or whether or not they were unclear of his punishment.  We need to know what God's law says, and we also need to acknowledge that the penalty of breaking His law, which is what sin is, is death.  Verse thirty-five states, And the LORD said unto Moses, The man shall be surely put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp.  Verse thirty-six adds, And all the congregation brought him without the camp, and stoned him with stones, and he died; as the LORD commanded Moses.  God told Moses that the man should certainly be put to death, and the congregation stoned him to death.  All sin brings a death penalty, but deliberate, willful sin in the congregation of believers in Christ I believe is especially offensive to God, especially when it carried out for all to see.  Verse thirty-seven says, And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,  Verse thirty-eight adds, Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of blue:  God then told Moses to instruct the people of Israel to put fringes on their garments and put a blue ribbon on the fringes.  This was done to remind them that they were a peculiar people who belonged to God and also so that they would be easily identified by the rest of the world, who would know if they were disobeying God.  They were to do this throughout all the coming generations.  We don't have any particular garment that identifies us as Christians, but our words and actions should.  Verse thirty-nine continues, And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the LORD, and do them; and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring:  God said this fringe was to be a reminder to the people that they were to remember God's law and not go chasing after the things of this world instead.   We have an even greater reminder, and that is the Holy Spirit living in us.  Verse forty concludes, That ye may remember, and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your God.  This fringe on their garment was to also remind them that they were holy, or set apart, from the rest of the world, and because of that they were to keep God's law.  As Christians, we are holy, set apart from the world, and even though we cannot be saved by God's law, it still applies.   Verse forty-one declares, I am the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the LORD your God.  God said they were to do these things because He was the LORD their God, Who had delivered them out of Egypt.  We must acknowledge God as the lord of our life today as followers of Christ because He has delivered us from the bondage of sin and set us free from its penalty forever.

Numbers 15:22

Numbers 15:22 says, And if ye have erred, and not observed all these commandments, which the LORD hath spoken unto Moses,  There was then a warning to people who had not observed the commandments of the LORD.  Verse twenty-three adds, Even all that the LORD hath commanded you by the hand of Moses, from the day that the LORD commanded Moses, and henceforward among your generations;  This warning applied to the commands of God made through Moses and applied to all generations of the people of Israel to come.  Verse twenty-four continues, Then it shall be, if ought be committed by ignorance without the knowledge of the congregation, that all the congregation shall offer one young bullock for a burnt offering, for a sweet savour unto the LORD, with his meat offering, and his drink offering, according to the manner, and one kid of the goats for a sin offering.  There was a specification about what must be sacrificed if the law was transgressed in ignorance without knowledge of the congregation.  Fortunately for those who put their faith in Jesus Christ, all our sins are forgiven, even those that we may accidentally commit.  Verse twenty-five states, And the priest shall make an atonement for all the congregation of the children of Israel, and it shall be forgiven them; for it is ignorance: and they shall bring their offering, a sacrifice made by fire unto the LORD, and their sin offering before the LORD, for their ignorance:  Even sins committed in ignorance could not just be overlooked, because all sin brings the penalty of death with it.  The priest was to make atonement for the congregation after they brought their offerings and sin sacrices.  Jesus Christ is our sin sacrifice, and He is the only One Who can make atonement for them.  Verse twenty-six adds, And it shall be forgiven all the congregation of the children of Israel, and the stranger that sojourneth among them; seeing all the people were in ignorance.  All the people of Israel and any stranger living there would then be forgiven for sins committed in ignorance.  We may not know all of God's law and may commit a sin without realizing it, but as already stated, if we put our faith in Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, all of our sins are forgiven.   Verse twenty-seven says, And if any soul sin through ignorance, then he shall bring a she goat of the first year for a sin offering.  Verse twenty-eight adds, And the priest shall make an atonement for the soul that sinneth ignorantly, when he sinneth by ignorance before the LORD, to make an atonement for him; and it shall be forgiven him.  Bringing the wrong animal for a sacrificial offering through ignorance would be forgiven once the priest made atonement for the sin.  This was different than knowing what was required and not doing it.  Verse twenty-nine states, Ye shall have one law for him that sinneth through ignorance, both for him that is born among the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them.  The same law, the only one, was to apply to all who sinned through ignorance, both the children of Israel and the stranger living with them.  Verse thirty adds, But the soul that doeth ought presumptuously, whether he be born in the land, or a stranger, the same reproacheth the LORD; and that soul shall be cut off from among his people.  Those who deliberately sinned, whether a person of the children of Israel or a stranger, were to be cut off from among the people of Israel.   Deliberate sin will always be worse than accidentally sin.  Verse thirty-one continues, Because he hath despised the word of the LORD, and hath broken his commandment, that soul shall utterly be cut off; his iniquity shall be upon him.  Those who despised the word of the LORD and deliberately sinned would be cut off from the people of Israel.  Those who despise the word of God today and reject the Living Word, Jesus Christ, will be forever cut off from God's kingdom. 

Numbers 15:13

Numbers 15:13 says, All that are born of the country shall do these things after this manner, in offering an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD. All those born in the nation of Israel were to follow the rules for the sacrificial system.  Though Jesus Christ became the only acceptable sacrifice for our sins, those who are reborn into the kingdom of God through putting their faith in Him are still expected to follow God's laws today.  Verse fourteen adds, And if a stranger sojourn with you, or whosoever be among you in your generations, and will offer an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD; as ye do, so he shall do.  God said those who lived in or visited the land of Israel once they were established there who wanted to offer a sacrifice to Him could do so.  God never intended for those physically born into the nation of Israel to be the only ones who could be a part of His kingdom.  Salvation is still not limited to those born in a certain place or into a certain family.  Verse fifteen continues, One ordinance shall be both for you of the congregation, and also for the stranger that sojourneth with you, an ordinance for ever in your generations: as ye are, so shall the stranger be before the LORD.  God said there would be no difference in His laws between those born into the nation of Israel and those who came to live there from other nations, and there still isn't.  Verse sixteen concludes, One law and one manner shall be for you, and for the stranger that sojourneth with you.. God repeated the fact that there was but one Law for all who would follow Him.  The only way to salvation is through putting ones faith in Jesus Christ as ones personal Savior and Lord, and it doesn't matter where a person is born.  Then, those who accept Him are all under the authority of God's law.  Verse seventeen states, And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,  Verse eighteen adds, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye come into the land whither I bring you,  God then told Moses that He had instructions for the people of Israel once they came into the Promised Land.   We as Christians are looking forward to Hewven, our Promised Land, yet when we get there, we will certainly be under the authority of God, so why do we often not like to be today?  Verse nineteen continues, Then it shall be, that, when ye eat of the bread of the land, ye shall offer up an heave offering unto the LORD. God told Moses to tell the people of Israel and all the strangers who chose to live with them there in the Promised Land when they ate bread that God had provided for them by giving them the land were to offer up an offering to Him.  As followers of Christ, God has promised us that He will always provide for our needs as long as we follow Christ faithfully, and we should offer up ourself as a sacrifice to God daily.  Verse twenty says, Ye shall offer up a cake of the first of your dough for an heave offering: as ye do the heave offering of the threshingfloor, so shall ye heave it.  Verse twenty-one adds, Of the first of your dough ye shall give unto the LORD an heave offering in your generations.  The heave offering that they were to offer was to come from the first of their dough, and not the last or leftovers.  W need to give to God first out of what He blesses us with, no matter how little we may feel that to be.  Obeying  God must always be our first priority as followers of Christ.